Closure fastener



April 20, 1943. H. G. KNUTH 2,317,277

CLOSURE FASTENER Filed Dec. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Apr. 20, 1943 CLOSURE FASTENER Harvey G. Knuth, Elgin, 111., assignor to Modern Steel Equipment Company, Geneva, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application December 16, 1940, Serial No. 370,386

5 Claims.

My invention relates to fasteners which are more especially intended for the doors of kitchen cabinets and the like and has for its object the provision of a catch or fastener the main body whereof may be readily mounted and secured to the inner panel or sheet of a double walled sheet metal door and be disposed between the two walls to provide an uninterrupted plane surfaced door except for a comparatively small catch-pin receiving opening; the catch-pin of the fastener being intended to be mounted on the immovable wall of the cabinet substantially in alignment with said opening in the inner wall of the door.

The invention has for its object the provision of a fastener which will be disposed between the double walls of the metal door with its base plate or portion adapted to be immovably secured to the inner wall or door lining without interfering with or marring the enamel finish of the door; and wherein the catch-pin receiving portion yieldingly effects gripping relation with the immovable catch-pin with said portion formed to compensate for slight variations in the alignment of the catch-pin therewith.

The objects and the advantages inherent in the invention will be readily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of a sheet metal cabinet and door with intermediate portions broken away; the fastener being mounted in the double Walled door and in section, while the pin is shown secured to the cabinet wall and is shown in full lines.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the fastener showing the pin receiving opening in the base plate and illustrating the normal position of the pin gripping portion before the pin is introduced.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken.

substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, with the catch-pin in elevation.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of closure fastener.

Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view of a por- I tion of a cabinet and door with the latter provided with the fastener shown in Figure 6; the section being taken through the pin gripping portion of the fastener.

Figure 8 is a view taken substantially onthe line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a sectional view through the door and cabinet and taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a sectional view of a portion of a cabinet and door illustrating another modified form of fastener, with the housing of the fastener also shown in transverse section.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line l|-ll of Figure 10, with the catch pin omitted, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line l2-I2' of Figure 10.

My improved closure fasteners are especially intended for use with sheet metal kitchen cabinets, generally provided with an enamel coating, and with hinged doors which are preferably formed with double walls and made to fit against the perimetrical portions of the cabinet wall about the opening; the bottom wall of the cabinet, shown at l5, and the door, a portion of which is shown at I6, preferably being double walled.

The invention has for its object the provision of a fastener capable of mounting between the double walls of the door in order that there be no protruding portions on the door interior or within the cabinet to interfere with the hand of the user or with the commodities or articles that are placed in the cabinet. I have therefore devised a fastener which may be located entirely within the door I6 and be secured to the inner sheet or plate I! of the door; the fastener, in the exemplifications shown in the first five figures, consisting of the rectangular shell or housing l8, preferably stamped out of a single blank of sheet metal to provide a side wall l9, top and bottom walls 20, 2| and two end walls 22, 22.

The top and bottom walls 20, 2| are provided with slots 23, disposed lengthwisely and substantially of equal length and with the slots in the top wall 26 substantially in register with the slots in the bottom wall as more clearly seen In Figure 3.

The slots 23 are intended to receive the. legs or sides of a substantially U-shape spring element 24, preferably consisting of stiff steel Wire bent intermediate of its ends to provide the two loops 25 and to form the two legs or ends 26, 26, which extend through the respective slots 23 in the top and bottom walls of the housing l8, see Figure 3; the slots 23 being of length sufficient to permit .the legs or ends of thelooped spring to be slightly .spread apart to receive the oppositely tapered head 2'! of the catch-pin 28 therebetween, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. V

In order to hold the spring element .24 in place, I provide the top wall 20 of the housing with an angularly disposed lip 29 which. is disposed across the top of the intermediate portion of the spring element 24, as shown in Figures 3 and 4; the lip 29 being capable of bending across the spring element 24 after the latter has been inserted in place.

In order to enable the enlarged tapered head of the catch-pin 28 to more readily slip in between the legs or ends 26, 26 of the spring element 24 and afiord an anti-frictional relation, I prefer'to provide each leg or side 26 of the spring element with a small roller 31!.

After the spring element 24, with its rollers 30, has been inserted in the housing, the cover plate 3| is then applied. The cover plate 3!, shown of rectangular shape and preferably slightly larger than the transverse dimensions of the housing, see Figures 1, 2 and 4, is provided centrally with a slightly oblong hole shown at 32, see Figure 2, of size somewhat larger than the oppositely tapered head 21 of the catch-pin 28 to permit the latter to freely pass through the cover plate hole. a

The cover plate 3! at opposite sides of the hole 32 is provided with small slots 33, 33 which are intended to receive small tongues or extensions 34 on the end walls 22, 22 of the housing; and

the base or cover plate 3f adjacent each. slot,

namely intermediate the slots 33 and hole 32,,and on the outer face of the plate is preferably depressed as shown at 35 to receive the inwardly bent tongues or extensions 34 in order that these tongues may extend flush with the outer face of the cover-plate 31'.

When the tongues 34, 34 are bent into the de pressions 35, it is apparent that therhousing t8 In addition to providing a firm gripping 01' holding relation with the catch-pin, the construction also provides an easyand comparatively noiseless fastener, which may be readily assembled or taken apart and by reason of its lapping engagement with the inner door sheet may be easily secured in place; and in the event of slight and the cover-plate 3! will be secured together and a closure for the open side of the housing provided, with the marginal edges of the cover plate disposed beyond the walls of the housing I8; the plate also constituting a closure for the opening in the inner plate ll of the door. The

marginal edges of the inner plate ll. about the fastener receiving opening preferabl is depressed at 36 toreceive the marginal edges of the cover-plate 3i and permit the latter to lie flush with the outer face of the cover plate and also permit the edges of the cover-plate 31' tob'e' soldered or welded to the inner sheet of the door. v

The front wall of the cabinet and beneath the door-opening has the catch-pin 28 secured thereto so as to align with the opening 32 in the coverplate 3| of the fastener when the door l6which is made to lap the front side of the cabinet--is moved to closed position. v 1 j The catch-pin 28 has a threaded end which extends through the front wall of the cabinet 7 and is held place by the nut 3 1 in conjunction with a. suitable lock-washer 38 When the door is moved to closed position, the .outer end or head 21 of the pin. passes through the hole 32 of cover plate if and into engagement with rollers 30, 30; the tapered end of the pin 28 entering between the rollers 3'0 which are normally spaced apart as shown in Figure 2. where the adjacent portions of the rollers can be seen through thelpin receiving opening in the coverplate.

The legs or sides 26, 26' of the looped spring 24 tend to flex toward each other as shown, being restrained by the inner ends of the slots 23, as shown in Figure 5, as: the normal tendency of the legs or sides 26, 260i the looped spring is to move toward each other and thus cause the rollers30, 30 to be held in mm engagement with op- 'posite sides of the tapered head of the pin 28,

thereby holding the door in closed position; the rollers 30, 3|], however, providing a rolling'and hence non-friction relation with the catch-pin 28. When the pin-head has been forced between the rollers, the latter and the spring legs or ends will substantially assume the position shown in Figure 3. 7 I

misalignment between the tip of the pin and the spacing between the rollers, the lateral movement of; the roller carrying spring ends will enable a gripping relation with the pin to be obtained.

In Figures 6 to. 9, I show a modification formed of resilient sheet metal bent into U-shape crosssection as shown at 39 in Figure 6 and the two sides provided with right angularly disposed lobes 40, whereby the catch may be soldered, welded, or otherwise secured between: the two walls of the door. The two sides of the catch have integral extensions or prongs provided with the narrowed portions 41, 4[ which in turn terminate in the outwardly curled ends H, 42'; the ends of the two extensions or legs beingv bent substantially into the circular form shown in Figure 7 and normally held in close relationwith each other by the resilient narrow portions 4!. The inner wall I! of the doorat a point inalignment with the spacing between the two curled ends' 42, 42 is provided with a suitable opening, as shown at 43, see Figure '7, for .passageof the oppositely tapered end or head 21 of the catch-pin "which is secured to the front walloff the bottom of the cabinet [5, in a manner similart'o that shown in Figure 1.

As is apparent from the construction shown, when the door It, H is moved to closed position, the pin 28 strikes the curled sides 42, 42 of the extensions, forcing the latter apart as shown in Figures '7 and 8; the resiliency of the. narrowed portions 4| maintaining the circularv or curled portions in firm gripping relation with the pin; the latter offeringsmooth. curved. surfaces to the pin with comparatively little friction and noise in operation.

In Figures 10 to 12., I disclose a modification.

wardly bowed portions of the crimps 46' to pass.

through the hole in the cover sheet, 11..

The end walls 45, 45 are each provided with. a

pair of parallel and spaced apart slots to receive the flat ends of the spring strips 48, 48 which extend transversely of the housingf The intermediate portions 49 of the spring strips 48, 48 are of greater width and the'se p'ortions are preferably bent outwardly into the somewhat U-shape form, more clearly shownin Figure 12, so as to havethe intermediate arcuate ,portionsof the two spring strips presented toward each other and normally in proximity to each otherand'substantially into the plane of the center ofth'e Holes!) in the coverplate 4T. w

The cabinet wall 15 has the catch-pin 28- which is similar to the pin previously described-secured thereto so that its enlarged tapered head will pass between the ,bowed'portions of the two spring strips; the flat ends of the strips permitting the spring strips to flex sufiiciently to enable the head of the pin to pass and at the same time maintain gripping relation with the pin as shown in Figure 12.

Before inserting the housing into the door, the end walls 45which are partly severed from the adjacent side walls of the housing-are flexed outwardly sufficiently to permit the spring strips to be put into place; while the flat ends of the strips permit the end walls 45 to be flexed toward each other sufficiently to enable the outwardly bowed portions of the ogee crimps to pass through the hole in the door lining and to snap into place as shown and at the same time to enable the closure plate 47 to be forced into place.

In all forms of the invention, the pin gripping means involve element of sufficient resiliency to return to normal position and hence into holding relation with the oppositely tapered head of the pin; the elements at the same time presenting non-friction producing comparatively small arcuate surfaces to the pin which remain in constant contact with the pin-head and hence provide for noiseless operation; it being understood that the gripping means may be secured within the double wall of the cabinet and the pin to the door if desired, without change in construction and operation.

The various exemplifications are believed to be the simplest embodiments of the invention and have been described in terms employed for purposes of description and not as terms of limitation, as structural modifications are possible and may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a closure fastener for cabinet doors, a rectangular metal housing whose end walls are 7 provided with bendable extensions, opposite side walls of the housing being provided with registering slots; a double looped spring wire whose ends are disposed in the same direction and normally flex toward each other, the intermediate looped portion of the spring wire being seated on the housing exterior with its ends disposed through the slots in the side walls; the housing exterior having an integral tongue adapted to overlap the intermediate portion of said spring wire to maintain the latter in place.

2. In a closure fastener of the character described, a metal housing open at one side, two walls having extensions and two walls having correlated slots; a spring wire bent to provide two substantially parallel portions adapted to extend through said correlated slots and normally flexing toward each other; and an apertured closure plate for said housing adapted to be held in place by said housing wall extensions and effect means for securing the housing in place.

3. In a closure fastener for cabinet doors comprising a housing open at its forward side, the top and bottom walls having correlated slots, while the end walls have extensions; an apertured closure plate for the forward side adapted to be held in place by said extensions; and resilient gripping means, mounted on the top wall of the housing, composed of spring wire provided intermediate its ends with a pair of opposingly disposed loops terminating in straight end portions normally flexing toward each other, said end portions being disposed through the slots in the top and bottom walls of the housing and transversely of the aperture in said closure plate.

4. In a closure fastener for cabinet doors, a housing open at one side, two opposite walls having correlated slots and two Walls having extensions; a spring wire looped intermediate its ends and having straight portions normally flexing toward each other, the intermediate looped portion of the spring being immovably mounted on the housing while the straight ends of the spring are disposed. through the slots of the housing walls and the portion of the ends within the housing provided with loosely held rollers; and a closure plate for the open side of the housing provided with an opening aligned with said rollers, the plate at opposite ends having slots adapted to receive said wall extensions whereby the closure plate is held in place.

5. In combination with the double-walled door of a steel cabinet, the inner wall of the door having an opening; a fastened for the door adapted to be inserted through said opening and be disposed between the walls of the door, said fastener comprising a metal housing open at one side while two walls are provided with bendable extensions and two opposite walls are provided with correlated slots; a double looped spring element with its intermediate portion and the loops arranged on the housing exterior while the ends of the element extend through said slots and normally flex toward each other;

and an apertured closure plate for the housing of dimensions greater than said opening in the door inner wall and provided with slots at opposite ends to receive said housing wall extensions, whereby the housing is secured in place and a closure for the opening in the door inner wall provided.

HARVEY G. KNUTH. 

